Of all the things IPL fans have craved during the lockdown blackout, the Rohit Sharma pull shot will have been right near the very top of the list.
Yes, Andre Russell’s power-hitting. Jasprit Bumrah’s death-over wizardry, sure. The coolness of Jofra Archer.
Even the anticipation that comes with Ravichandran Ashwin stepping in to bowl when there is a batsman with itchy feet at the non-striker’s end.
But there are few things, anywhere in the sport, as easy on the eye as Rohit picking up a short of a length delivery and dispatching it over the mid-wicket fence.
Mumbai Indians’ captain might have arrived in Abu Dhabi for this delayed season of IPL a tick over his ideal fighting weight, but he has quickly found his feet at the batting crease.
And he gave the vast television audience exactly what they wanted during the course of his innings of 80 from 54 balls against Kolkata Knight Riders in Abu Dhabi.
It included six sixes, the majority of which were crisp pulls on to the grass banks square of the wicket at the Zayed Cricket Stadium. It took him past an IPL career haul of 200 sixes in the process.
It set his side up for a comfortable 49-run win over a Kolkata side who have suffered much pain at the hands of Mumbai over the years in this competition.
Rohit shared a stand for the second wicket with Suryakumar Yadav worth 90 in a little over nine overs.
Kolkata were out of the game from that point onwards. Even their $2.1 million signing Pat Cummins was unable to stem the flow of Mumbai runs.
In fact, the Australian suffered a chastening start to this event in the UAE, as he was taken for 49 in just three overs.
After Mumbai signed for 195-5 from their 20 overs, Kolkata were never in the chase.
They have enviable firepower in their middle order, in the form of Eoin Morgan and Andre Russell.
But the task was too large, and the bowlers too skillful, even for them.
Jasprit Bumrah, Trent Boult, James Pattinson and Rahul Chahar took two wickets apiece as Kolkata were kept to 146-9.
The landslide win was a fine way for Kieron Pollard to celebrate playing his 150th match for Mumbai.
The Trinidadian was not especially needed with the bat, but he did take a catch to remove Shubman Gill, and picked up his first wicket since the 2015 IPL.
“Some people might want to play it down, but over the years, you watch the amount of auctions that are taking place,” Pollard said in a TV interview between innings.
“Guys are moving from team to team. For me to be able to stay at Mumbai for 11 years and play 150 games, me being a guy from a small town in Trinidad, I think it’s a great achievement for me and my family.”
Our family matters legal consultant
Name: Hassan Mohsen Elhais
Position: legal consultant with Al Rowaad Advocates and Legal Consultants.
Key facilities
- Olympic-size swimming pool with a split bulkhead for multi-use configurations, including water polo and 50m/25m training lanes
- Premier League-standard football pitch
- 400m Olympic running track
- NBA-spec basketball court with auditorium
- 600-seat auditorium
- Spaces for historical and cultural exploration
- An elevated football field that doubles as a helipad
- Specialist robotics and science laboratories
- AR and VR-enabled learning centres
- Disruption Lab and Research Centre for developing entrepreneurial skills
HIJRA
Starring: Lamar Faden, Khairiah Nathmy, Nawaf Al-Dhufairy
Director: Shahad Ameen
Rating: 3/5
BUNDESLIGA FIXTURES
Saturday, May 16 (kick-offs UAE time)
Borussia Dortmund v Schalke (4.30pm)
RB Leipzig v Freiburg (4.30pm)
Hoffenheim v Hertha Berlin (4.30pm)
Fortuna Dusseldorf v Paderborn (4.30pm)
Augsburg v Wolfsburg (4.30pm)
Eintracht Frankfurt v Borussia Monchengladbach (7.30pm)
Sunday, May 17
Cologne v Mainz (4.30pm),
Union Berlin v Bayern Munich (7pm)
Monday, May 18
Werder Bremen v Bayer Leverkusen (9.30pm)
Jetour T1 specs
Engine: 2-litre turbocharged
Power: 254hp
Torque: 390Nm
Price: From Dh126,000
Available: Now
Meghan%20podcast
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Visit Abu Dhabi culinary team's top Emirati restaurants in Abu Dhabi
Yadoo’s House Restaurant & Cafe
For the karak and Yoodo's house platter with includes eggs, balaleet, khamir and chebab bread.
Golden Dallah
For the cappuccino, luqaimat and aseeda.
Al Mrzab Restaurant
For the shrimp murabian and Kuwaiti options including Kuwaiti machboos with kebab and spicy sauce.
Al Derwaza
For the fish hubul, regag bread, biryani and special seafood soup.
Zayed Sustainability Prize
The specs
Engine: 6.2-litre V8
Transmission: seven-speed auto
Power: 420 bhp
Torque: 624Nm
Price: from Dh293,200
On sale: now
UAE v United States, T20 International Series
Both matches at ICC Academy, Dubai. Admission is free.
1st match: Friday, 2pm
2nd match: Saturday, 2pm
UAE squad: Mohammed Naveed (captain), Rohan Mustafa, Ashfaq Ahmed, Shaiman Anwar, Rameez Shahzad, Amjad Gul, CP Rizwan, Mohammed Boota, Abdul Shakoor, Ahmed Raza, Imran Haider, Sultan Ahmed, Zahoor Khan, Amir Hayat
USA squad: Saurabh Netravalkar (captain), Jaskaran Malhotra, Elmore Hutchinson, Aaron Jones, Nosthush Kenjige, Ali Khan, Jannisar Khan, Xavier Marshall, Monank Patel, Timil Patel, Roy Silva, Jessy Singh, Steven Taylor, Hayden Walsh
What sanctions would be reimposed?
Under ‘snapback’, measures imposed on Iran by the UN Security Council in six resolutions would be restored, including:
- An arms embargo
- A ban on uranium enrichment and reprocessing
- A ban on launches and other activities with ballistic missiles capable of delivering nuclear weapons, as well as ballistic missile technology transfer and technical assistance
- A targeted global asset freeze and travel ban on Iranian individuals and entities
- Authorisation for countries to inspect Iran Air Cargo and Islamic Republic of Iran Shipping Lines cargoes for banned goods
The specs
Engine: 2.0-litre 4cyl turbo
Power: 261hp at 5,500rpm
Torque: 405Nm at 1,750-3,500rpm
Transmission: 9-speed auto
Fuel consumption: 6.9L/100km
On sale: Now
Price: From Dh117,059
Company%20profile
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UAE currency: the story behind the money in your pockets
Killing of Qassem Suleimani
More from Neighbourhood Watch:
Killing of Qassem Suleimani
Sunday:
GP3 race: 12:10pm
Formula 2 race: 1:35pm
Formula 1 race: 5:10pm
Performance: Guns N' Roses
UAE currency: the story behind the money in your pockets
UAE currency: the story behind the money in your pockets
SERIES INFO
Afghanistan v Zimbabwe, Abu Dhabi Sunshine Series
All matches at the Zayed Cricket Stadium, Abu Dhabi
Test series
1st Test: Zimbabwe beat Afghanistan by 10 wickets
2nd Test: Wednesday, 10 March – Sunday, 14 March
Play starts at 9.30am
T20 series
1st T20I: Wednesday, 17 March
2nd T20I: Friday, 19 March
3rd T20I: Saturday, 20 March
TV
Supporters in the UAE can watch the matches on the Rabbithole channel on YouTube
Cinco in numbers
Dh3.7 million
The estimated cost of Victoria Swarovski’s gem-encrusted Michael Cinco wedding gown
46
The number, in kilograms, that Swarovski’s wedding gown weighed.
1,000
The hours it took to create Cinco’s vermillion petal gown, as seen in his atelier [note, is the one he’s playing with in the corner of a room]
50
How many looks Cinco has created in a new collection to celebrate Ballet Philippines’ 50th birthday
3,000
The hours needed to create the butterfly gown worn by Aishwarya Rai to the 2018 Cannes Film Festival.
1.1 million
The number of followers that Michael Cinco’s Instagram account has garnered.
Killing of Qassem Suleimani
The Little Things
Directed by: John Lee Hancock
Starring: Denzel Washington, Rami Malek, Jared Leto
Four stars
